Esvagt Wind – a great co-operation between shipping company and shipyard
From 2019-2021, Hvide Sande Shipyard built 5 STBs (safe transfer boats) for the Esbjerg-based shipping company Esvagt that delivers safety and service at sea.
The STBs ESVAGT WIND 5-6-7-8-9 are 12 metres long vessels with aluminium hulls. With a crew of two boat drivers, they can transport 8 service technicians and carry app. 1 ton of spare parts for offshore installations in the North Sea and adjacent waters. They are launched up to 10 times a day form a Davits crane arrangement on larger SOV-motherships (service operation vessels) but can also operate independently to and from a harbour. They are approved for a range of 200 nautical miles.
Two Volvo Penta D6 engines drive the vessels at speeds up to 30 knots. It is a highly effective working tool that satisfies – and in many cases – exceeds the customers’ expectations in terms of efficiency, versatility and reliability. Esvagt was responsible for design, construction and requirements specifications. The company also services its vessels itself.
Bjarne Mikkelsen, senior service manager at Esvagt, explains the co-operation with Hvide Sande Shipyard:
When we started the STB 12 project back in 2014, 3D drawing technology was not that developed. We therefore built a full-size mock-up and moved the components around until everything worked optimally. For the construction of vessels no. 5 – 9, we chose Hvide Sande Shipyard. We deliberately used a Danish supplier to maintain Danish jobs.
CEO Carl Erik Kristensen visited us at the start of the project and looked at a similar vessel. After a quarter of an hour, he could confirm that Hvide Sande Shipyard was capable of building such a construction and indicated an approximate price. It added up!
Of course, we entered the process with a new supplier with some hesitation. Both sides looked at each other. But it resulted in a fantastic co-operation. I had a goal that we would be as good friends and business partners at the end of the project as at the beginning – and it came true.
At Esvagt, we never compromise on safety and quality. We knew that Hvide Sande Shipyard could deliver. They are in control with their organization and documentation process.
I know many of the employees from different contexts, and Hvide Sande Shipyard has always delivered good quality on time. All challenges along the way have been resolved in the best possible way.
Agreements last when they are made, even if they are not meticulously written – after all, we are not from Jutland for nothing 🙂